Just Music: Tom's Story Wows in Album Launch

Fist Bump: Santiago, Naval and de Guia, who make up Tom's Story
share a moment before their set. 

The first time we saw Tom's Story perform was back in 2014 (or was it 2015?) they completely blew us away and Paul was an instant fan. I guess, there's something about an instrumental rock band that speaks to Paul, who incidentally used to play the guitar. Think 90's Rock acts like Green Day, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilot, Bush and even Razorback-you should hear him sing too- before picking up the camera and deciding to stay behind the lens to capture the rock stars and the musicians, he once could have been. 

'It speaks to the musician in you' Paul told me, referring to the music of the 3 piece post-rock, math-rock band on our drive home from their album launch. Honestly, their music didn't sweep me of my feet the first time I saw them perform, it wasn't really love at first sight but more of a gradual admiration. If you think writing songs is hard, try with just instruments. An instrumental piece with no lyrics to 'hide' from is like baring your soul to the audience and listener and without lyrics, it's really just the music speaking to you. It all comes down to what the music makes you feel. I know that it sounds too philosophical and maybe a bit serious and maybe even bordering to meditation and medidation but yes, it is just about the music and whatever it is that Gabba Santiago, Christer de Guiana and Tomas Naval have been doing-it works! People are responding to their songs (with matching quirky dance moves) despite the absence of lyrics and have quickly become one of the most sought after acts in the Metro. 

When the band announced that they would be launching their debut album it was one of the first events that was marked on our 2016 calendars. Apparently it was also what a lot of music lovers did becasue lo and behold- Route 196 was a sauna! I don't remember seeing the bar filled to the brim with people! It was a rubbing-against-elbows, sweat dripping down your neck kind of crowd. As a friend of mine said in a text 'we had to ninja ourselves in'. Paul had to wrestle his way to the front to take photos. 

It was a fun night (despite the heat and the sweat) with performances from Autotelic, Musical O and Tide/Edit.

It always makes me happy to be in a crowd that moves and dances with the music and the thought that it was a big crowd just makes me all the happier. It's a Saturday night and these millennials could be doing anything but they decided to spend it in a hot crowded bar in the middle of Katipunan, to show their love and support for a local band who actually makes music and not just belts out covers or  be another incarnation of a pogi-rock band because hey- those get the girls right? 

Picked up the album (review up on the blog soon) and now we have a piece of Tom's Story with us. We can blast the magic that is their music in the car or at home (neighbors be damned) and have our own quirky dance session, or whatever the music makes us feel like doing. 

Event was made possible by A Spur Of The Moment. 

Click HERE for MORE Photos! 

Circa Habang Buhay Music Video Launch

Right where they belong: Circa 

First of all, our apologies if the photos of the event were uploaded first before this blog post. We try to make it a point to upload the blog post at the same time as the photos on the Facebook page, but for this instance there was a disconnect and misunderstanding from Paul and myself, brought about being tired and lacking sleep. So that is why the photos and album in Facebook was posted first before the blog post. 

Never the less, here is the blog post on Circa's Habang Buhay Music Video launch. 

Music Video launches, or any launch for that matter is always a cause for celebration and indeed even before the video was debuted there was already a lot of cheering and clapping from the crowd since they were watching the talked about Gilas vs. South Korea basketball game on TV. 

It was a win that had news paper articles saying that the win meant a lot to Filipinos as, pride was swelling in each and every Pinoy who watched that basketball game. Jokes were cracked left and right about how the Philippines won over South Korea last night. One tweet I read said, - 'Korea you may have our teenage girls but basketball is still ours' while a number of tweets were about how OPM had one up on KPOP and indeed OPM did have a one up with the launch of Circa's music video 'Habang Buhay'. 

Thumbs up! From Circa guitarist Arkho at the end of their Habang Buhay Music Video Launch. 

Another reason why I love Music Video launches is that aside from the happy and festive atmosphere Is the great line up of bands performing and there were great and amazing bands lined up for the video launch. 

Recording Producer, Manager and all around 'Kuya' Monty Macalinao was present with his band - Mayonnaise - although made up of other session members, he himself was also a session guitarist for Ferown. 

I admire the passion that he has for music, even helping out up and coming bands like Circa - make sure to check out his very own The Yellow Room. 

The Yellow Room is a recording studio, music school and an independent record label for both professional and amateur musicians.      

Make sure to like their Facebook page HERE - for updates on amazing and talented musicians! 

Monty Macalinao of Mayonnaise

Sheric Ranning of Declared Already 

Comeback gig for Midnight Meetings 

Incidentally it was also in Route 196 where Midnight Meetings had the successful launch of their Music Video - Pwede Ba? Blog post here. The video is currently in the Myx charts-make sure to log on to myxph.com to vote! 

You can click here to watch the video. 

Rockstar PH which is a Manila-based source of original band shirts imported from the US also had a booth set up during the event. It is owned by Ashley Gosiengfiao and Guada Tagalog from Midnight Meetings. Click here to check out their Facebook page for amazing original band shirts from the U.S!  

Sorry there were no photos of the shirts from Rockstar PH or the booth - by the time Paul worked up to getting a photo the girls were already setting up on stage - maybe next time eh? I did purchase Velvet Cupcake flavored Chapstick from them - which I love - never leave the house without it :)  

Fall Out Boy Night

If you guys are following the blog or following me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook you would probably agree that I have been blogging/posting/tweeting about Fall Out Boy Night for some time already. 

While we have covered a number of different 'band nights' or 'specialty nights' as Kuya Monty would put them, Fall Out Boy Night was a bit more special to me since I had a hand in helping organize the event. (Allow me a little 'blow my own horn' moment here :D) I helped a bit with band line up as well as gathering sponsors for the event and even hosted the show. (I did a lot of hosting back in College so it was nice to be able to get to relive that again. :D) 

You can check out the original event announcement post by clicking here. 

  

Yuko starting things off with a bang! 

Band Nights are always fun because the crowd is just wild! They sing back to the songs that they love and they sing it with such fervor. There's also a lot of clapping, jumping, dancing, slamming - it's just crazy, crazy fun. Even if you come in the bar not knowing the people, you would definitely come out having gained new friends literally partied with people who love the same music as you do.  

Crazy Open Mic set with Trapeze 

Lot's of Love for Paraluman 

Another great set from Circa for Band Night 

Event Announcement: Fall Out Boy Night

Another band night is coming up and the Young Bloods have their war paint on! Mismo Productions is presenting Fall Out Boy Night on July 13, 2013 at Route 196. 

I've already been to a couple (more than actually) of band nights at Route 196 and they are always a blast! You get to spend an awesome night and hang out with fellow Fall Out Boy fans as well as sing, dance and gow crazy with FOB songs you just love plus you get to meet local bands as well! :) 

All you need is P150.00 to get in and you're all set (and that comes with a free drink-too!) :)

If you need to warm up for the upcoming Fallout Boy concert in August then Fall Out Boy Night is definitely the way to do it! :) 

See you all on July 13, 2013 at Route 196 and don't forget to like Mismo Productions's Facebook page here and follow them on Twitter: @MismoProd 

Don't forget to RSVP for the event here. :3 

UPDATE!!!

Hey Young Bloods! Things got bigger and better with Fall Out Boy Night since there will be lots of Fall Out Boy merchandise (ballers, T-shirts) as well as other band merchandise which will be sold during Fall Out Boy Night! 

Not only that but there will be great prizes available as well! 

Amazeballs Merch will be there and check out these lovely Fall Out Boy ballers which will be up for grabs as well as will be given away as prizes! 

You can follow them on Twitter: @AmazeballMerch Make sure to like their FB page here and check out their amazing band merchandise. You can order and just meet up during Fall Out Boy Night so you don't have to pay for shipping fees! :) 

BUT WAIT--There's MORE! 

Our very own Young Bloods are also Young Entrepreneurs and they will be selling Fall Out Boy shirts as well! Check out these t shirts from Alek, Dom and Jess or collectively known as Adj. Works You can click here for more details! Please note that the Inifinity on High shirts may not be available so make sure to post your inquiries ASAP! :) 

This amazing shirt design will be available on FOB Night! 

Not only is Inna the hard working admin and founder of Fall Out Boy PH but she also has Fall Out Boy shirts available for sale! You can click here for more details. 

I have the one in Maroon and will be wearing it for Fall Out Boy Night :) 

If you guys have any questions about for Fall Out Boy Night feel free to leave a comment here, PM on Facebook or Tweet me @ica_cheng. 

Can't wait to see you all this July 13, 2013 at Route 196 for Fall Out Boy Night! :) 

The following bands are all lined up and set to save rock and roll ~ what about you guys?! Of course Pcheng Photography will be there to cover the event - come on over and say hi and don't forget to smile for the camera! :D 

CIRCA

PARALUMAN

Letter Day Story

Blue Boys Bite Back 

Paramore Night V

It's all about the music. -Paramore Fans during Paramore Night 5

They say that love is sweeter the second time around so that only means that things can only get better the third time around right? Well things definitely got BIGGER and BETTER during Paramore Night 5 last May 11, 2013 at it's own home at Route 196. 

Aside from the amazing Mismo Productions who has been organizing the past Paramore Nights, Warner Music Philippines also played a hand in the event which is a significant step in the continuing evolution that is Paramore Night. 

Mouth watering prizes made its way through social media causing the baring of fangs and teeth among Paramore fans. Shirts from the Paramore Spring 2013 were up for grabs. As well as ballers from Warner Music. 

It's always fun to go Paramore Nights? Why? It's because of the people who go there - it really is a family without any pretenses, without the bull, it is in every definition a family brought together by their love for music and Paramore.

First band up the plate - Stratosdays 

Power Punch from Sarah Sayson of Stratosdays. 

First timers- PsychoChem 

Foo Fighters Night

Front and Center: Danita Paner of Ferown 

It was as if a foreshadowing took place at that moment when Monty Macalinao with Circa's cover of 'Best of You' by the Foo Fighters blared loud and proud during Paramore Night IV - it was just about time that 'Foo Fighters Night' would come along and this was definitely Paul's kind of 'band night'.  

Pinasikat.com which aims to be the central digital hub in the Philippines through video productions organized 'Foo Fighters Night' last April 27, 2013 at Route 196 in Katipunan where in local bands get to cover well loved Foo Fighters classics and also get to play current and new original music from them. 

Here are the bands who performed for Foo Fighters Night:

Luigi d' Avola 

Classic. Luigi d' Aviola 

Em Tolentino of Circa 

Whether it's Paramore Night or Foo Fighters Night - Circa can definitely make waves-we are big fans of Circa and we were also lucky enough to also get to hear their new song 'Tonight' which I really liked and I'm just excited to hear a studio version of it. :) 

Circa 

Paramore night IV

'Strike while the iron is hot' is very apt for this occasion as the love for Paramore continues to overflow and with a new album and a brand new sound at that, there is no other thing to do than celebrate than with yet again another Paramore Night- this one succeeding the last, thus aptly called Paramore Night 4. 

Since we had a hard time parking the last Paramore Night (we had to make a U-Turn-twice!) we really left early and Paul was even praying before leaving 'sana makakuha kami ng parking...sana makakuha kami ng parking...' 

Best parking spot ever! :D

And our early departure really paid off since we were able to get the sweetest parking possible and we were early! We got at Route 196 before 9:30 and also before the first band-which is great since we missed most of the bands during Paramore Night 3. 

Abstract HDR. Boards all over-Check out the skateboards on the wall (and the surfboard!)

We're used to seeing different time zones but this is just one- PINOY TIME!

Paul is actually a big fan of the interior design of Route 196 which is along Katipunan, there a lot of references to skateboards, aside from the many that are lined up on the walls, there is also the ingenious door knobs made of trucks (skateboard wheels) Paul's admiration is no surprise since he used to skate and still keeps his skateboard under our bed. So Paul went along and took some interior shots of Route 196 before the bands started to perform. 


One thing that I really like about Paramore Night is that it is a venue for amateur bands to perform and just experience the joy of performing live in front of a great audience. Paul just loves the crowd because they are energetic, intense fun, supportive (if you forget the lyrics they will help you out!) and the crowd is very 'makulit'. 

There is something magical about amateur bands sharing the stage with professional bands that they admire. It's like being an ordinary student on summer vacation or being any other girl or guy but then getting the chance to be a 'rock star' even for just 20-30 minutes and get to cover Paramore at that! 

First Band of the night - Senyora 

First band of the night was Senyora - you can visit and like their Facebook page by clicking on this link. Senyora has been performing in other bands and events as well. You can check out videos of their covers in their Facebook page as well. 

Project 365: Week 3

I can't believe that I've shot, 21 days of Project 365.  I'm starting to be in a frenzy of brainstorming on what to do next.  Around February 6 or 7 my wife got invited to go to Paramore Night 3.  In preparation I had to get a wide angle lens for the event(Paramore Night blog post) since my kit lens(Canon 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS) auto focus is whacked.  Yes, I hate to say it that I rely on the AF motor when shooting fast paced events.

Luckily I have a friend that owns a fish eye lens(Sigma 8mm 3.5).  So you'll see more shots with the ultra wide angle lens, that I used for less than a week.  It was tough at first since I have to hunt for the best position, then later I found out that often times, shooting up close to your subject will really bring out obtuse shape of the lens optics.  

From Night-Morning Shift to Afternoon-Evening Shift

While all this is happening, my work schedule was moved from the evening shift to the afternoon shift.  I usually shoot In the morning once I come home, so now I have to take a step back and think when will be the best time to shoot.  I'll be blogging that one in the Week 4 post. So most of the shots that you'll be seeing here were shot in the morning/afternoon.  The following week will be another story...

February 7, 2013 - #15 Fishing Around

This was the day that I got the lens from Milo(the owner and our friend).  Pogs another guy who's a photo-enthusiast was eager to get first shot with the lens(Thanks for tagging along!).

Shot with my camera(Canon 500d/T1i/Rebel/KissX3), with fish eye lens, and a flash mounted(580 EX II - from Voltz).  In the unedited RAW file you'll see wider view of the Mediahub Headquarters. In post processing, I applied a little lens correction to compress the room, applied a brush tool to over expose the eyes.

February 8, 2013 - #16 Milo's baby

Of course, a nice detail shot of the borrowed lens would be nice while I have it right?  So that's what I did here.  It's a pain to set up my stuff for macro shots, since I have to take out the battery grip of the camera, in case I'm going to mount the camera on a cheap tripod(mentioned in Photo Insight: Lights), pull out the wireless trigger, screw it on the flash, pop on the diffuser, mount the kit lens, set the aperture to desired setting (f/12 is where I start), screw the reverse ring on the front end of the kit lens, remove the kit lens from the camera, reverse mount it, and your ready for your trial and error. Sigh...

Trial and error, here I have to test the flash position, framing/composition, focus, and flash output.  I still haven't written them down for blogging purposes but hopefully in the Week 4 blog I'll be jotting it down(I hope).  Getting the desired shot is the reward that I reap with all of the hard work.

Shot with 500d, wireless trigger mounted, flash positioned at around 4'o clock(from camera position (same level as the camera), power output not sure if it's 1/8 or 1/16+.  I'm satisfied with this shot since I didn't have to bump my ISO up.  And I think I'm improving on macro photography(I hope so).

Paramore Night: III

Sooo..it's 3AM, just got home from Paramore Night III and I wanted to start blogging while everything is still fresh :) 

While I've seen Paramore groups all around the world have their own gatherings and meetings, we Filipinos also had our own special gathering of Paramore fans and this was by celebrating Paramore's music through our local bands and artists-this was aptly dubbed as Paramore Night III (where was I for Night I and II?!?!?!) 

Through the magic that is Social Media I was invited to this event and I was able to  get in touch with the organizers and instantly got an event for PCheng Photography to cover. (woot! woot! two birds with one stone!)

Unfortunately Paul had work until 11PM and parking was a b-tch! I really wish that we could do a George Jetson and pack our car in a suitcase! So we missed some of the bands that performed and only caught the last song of Midnight Meetings. (Frustrating! I know!) I wanted to shoot myself in the foot but we've pretty much learned to make the most of things so here are the photos of the event: 

Midnight Meeting's Ashley Gosiengfiao